


Paint Me Like You Do

by Mysenia



Series: Give Me Something Semi-Sweet [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Female Stiles Stilinski, Nail Polish, Pre-Relationship, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-27 00:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysenia/pseuds/Mysenia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles loves having her nails painted. She likes looking down her arm and seeing neat fingernails painted in neutral colours - her favourites are french tips. The only problem is, Stiles hates the act of actually painting her nails. </p>
<p>Perhaps Peter's offer will change her mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paint Me Like You Do

Stiles loves having her nails painted. She likes looking down her arm and seeing neat fingernails painted in neutral colours - her favourites are French tips.

 

She likes walking around bare-footed or in sandals, wiggling her toes so the sparkles painted onto her toenails catch in the light. It delights her in a way she can’t quite articulate, but doesn’t feel the need to as it gives her joy and she does not care much for what others thinks.

 

The only problem is, Stiles hates the act of actually painting her nails. Heck, she even hates cutting and filing her nails. She is one of those people who chew her nails to get them down to her preferred length when they’ve grown too long.

 

Lydia always frowns at her when she sees Stiles bringing her fingers to her mouth but Stiles cannot be bothered listening to her lectures over cleanliness. Stiles had once responded with, ‘ _Well at least I don’t chew my toenails_.’, to which Lydia had gone positively green looking and let the issues drop - though she still makes a face at Stiles when she sees her chewing her nails.

 

Stiles doesn’t carry around a big purse like Lydia does, so she does not have room to carry around things like nail clippers and files around _just in case_. Her little clutch carries a wallet, lip balm, and a spare tampon and that’s it.

 

However, there are those days where she wished for a nail file to fix her nails to look just so; where she wished she had the drive, like Lydia or Allison, to keep her nails looking perfect. The urge is there but the follow through is lacking, and most days Stiles is fine with that.

 

Sometimes she’ll treat herself to a mani-pedi with the girls, melting back into the chair as the tension leaches out of her body as she’s pampered. Money is tight though and she tries to spend it on important things like healthy food for her dad - the organic section can really rack up quite a hefty sum.

 

The necessity of saving does not stop her from browsing the nail polish section when she walks by it in the store, oohing over new colours or old favourites. Stiles has a small stash of nail polish at home and when she’s running low she’ll allow herself to restock, otherwise she just browses.

 

She likes it that way, for the most part.

 

There are days, like today, where she really wants to sit down and do up her nails. So she sets about getting everything ready, pulling out her polish and making sure she has nail polish remover handy just in case.

 

She already soaked her feet and her hands, carefully clipping the nails down to size and filing them just so. Her nails do not look the way she wants them to but it’s the best she can do, so she does not let it bother her - much.

 

She’s holed herself up in the bathroom so that any mess she makes can be easily cleaned up and carefully selects a bright red for her toes. Lydia had drilled into her mind relentlessly about always starting with her toes first, that way if she messes up at least she won’t be wrecking her fingernails in the process of fixing up her toenails.

 

She manages to paint her right foot perfectly, clean lines going on smoothly. It’s as she starts on her left foot that she runs into problems, as per usual.

 

For whatever reason, leaning over to paint the toes on her left foot always feels like a circus act. It feels like her left leg is much bigger than her right one, and that she’s bending much farther. Her knee feels like a barricade that she cannot get passed and she huffs out a breath when she inevitably gets polish along the skin of her baby toe.

 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” She mutters quietly to herself as she snatches up the polish remover and sets about fixing the mistake.

 

Of course, instead of removing the nail polish all it seems to do is push the red along her skin and make an even bigger mess. She sighs out heavily, rolling her eyes, and she grabs up a new cotton pad and soaks it in polish remover to start the process over again.

 

The second pad seems to do the job and she’s back to painting her toenails in no time. She even manages to get a second coat on all but three of her toenails without another misshapen. She’s careful not to celebrate yet but she can feel happiness blooming in her chest as she surveys her brightly coloured toes.

 

She loves the stark contrast of the red against her pale skin. It makes her feel bold and beautiful, and Stiles wiggles her toes, smiling to herself.

 

She bends down to finish the last of her toes when the sound of the doorbell ringing startles her out of her concentration and she paints a big red line between two of her toes.

 

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Stiles half laughs and half yells. It’s just not fair.

 

Ignoring the bright line of red marring her toes, she quickly makes her way downstairs and to the front door. Her nails are now a lost cause because she has no drive to finish them now. It’s already taken her longer than she wanted to just to get her toes done.

 

Opening the door, she really should be surprised about who is on her doorstep but the way her life has been going, it was bound to happen at some point that day.

 

“Hello Peter.” She smiles as she ushers him in. They’ve become friends, Stiles thinks, or probably more accurately they’ve become closer friends. She refuses to think about anything more.

 

“Hello.” He smiles at her as he walks passed, running his fingers through her hair on the way.

 

Stiles does not bother to stop herself from leaning into the touch. It’s nice and makes Peter happy.

 

“I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a late afternoon coffee. I hear that that Starbucks has a new drink out that I think you’d like.” He smirks at her as she bounces in place, waiting to hear the name of the new drink.

 

Peter knows she is addicted to coffee and Starbucks is her weakness.

 

He makes her wait a moment longer before telling her. “It’s called a S'mores Frappuccino.”

 

“Ohhh.” Stiles grins and claps her hands at the sound of it. Sounds delicious. “Definitely! Just let me grab a sweater and we can go.”

 

Peter grabs her left wrist before she can run out of the living room in her excitement to leave. She glances back at him and then at her feet where his eyes are now stuck.

 

Poop. She had actually managed to forget about the mess she’d made of her feet.

 

“Yeah, I should probably go take that off.” She concedes. “It’ll take me a few minutes.”

 

Peter follows her up the stairs, which had become so common that Stiles no longer questions it. He surveys the bathroom and her set up and hums to himself.

 

“Would you like me to do that for you?” He asks from his spot near the door and Stiles whips around to look at him, her face hopeful.

 

“Oh dude, would you?”

 

Stiles can see the surprise and the genuine glint of happiness in the wolf’s eyes as he perceives her enthusiasm over his offer. It is probably the first time Stiles has responded eagerly to one of Peter’s requests, and Stiles cannot deny the flood of warmth in her chest at making the wolf so happy with such a simple thing.

 

He has her seated on the lid of the toilet with her feet resting on his thighs in no time. He expertly wets a cotton pad with polish remover and takes away the stain on the skin around her toes before cleaning up the skin around all of her toes.

 

Stiles finds the tension leaving her as Peter eyes her toes critically and repaints the nails he feels needs it, and finishes off the toenails that Stiles had not finished painting. Such a small task had had her just about done with it but Peter makes it look so easy and she feels silly for her little outbursts at her toes.

 

She reaches out to run a hand along his shoulder, trailing her fingers down his arm, before snatching her hand back as she realises what she’s doing. Peter doesn’t say a word but Stiles knows he can probably smell her embarrassment over the action, even though she knows he would not make fun of her for it.

 

Peter relishes all the small touches between them, Stiles knows that, but he is usually the one initiating it. She’s thankful for his silence as he continues to fix up her toes.

 

He finishes her last toe with a small flick of his wrist and bends lower to blow over her toes. His breath is warm as it flows over her toes and Stiles can feel goosebumps shivering up her legs.

 

Stiles knows that Peter knows why a chill seems to have overtaken her but the wolf takes the opportunity to rub his hands up and down her legs to warm her. It is not a sexual touch but it warms Stiles all over and it makes her want to sink down onto Peter’s lap.

 

She feels strangely vulnerable, sitting above him as he kneels at her feet.

 

The wolf does not ever make a move that is not planned and calculated but, even so, he seems to drop his guard around Stiles more and more. She knows he would never allow even a hint of power imbalance around anyone, and yet this is not the first time she’s found the wolf at her feet - willingly baring his throat to her.

 

Stiles is not a wolf but she’s been around them enough - studied and researched them enough - to know their mannerisms. She understands what he’s been doing these last few months, and she’s been warming to the idea of being wooed.

 

Peter resting his head on her knees surprises her from her thoughts and she glances down at the wolf’s head. He’s breathing quietly, soft puffing breaths against her knees, and Stiles lets her fingers card through his hair.

 

It’s an intimate gesture given their situation, and Stiles wants it to continue. She wants to give Peter more, keep the intimacy going without stepping too far.

 

Peter beats her to it, as he has been these last few months. “Would you allow me to paint your fingernails?” He asks her as he peers up at her through his lashes, chin resting on her knees.

 

“Y-yeah.” She stutters out, throat hoarse from her unspoken emotions. She’s sure the wolf can smell her emotions better than she’d be able to articulate her thoughts.

 

Peter pulls her to her feet and gathers up everything he needs before following Stiles downstairs to the kitchen, setting up everything on the table. He gathers some warm water for her to rest her hands in, gently gathering up her hands and placing them in the bowl.

 

He is always so gentle with her, every movement designed to soothe and relax her.

 

She already loves getting her nails done but Peter goes a step further in her comfort. He cuts her nails and files them, trailing his fingers gently over her palms and around her wrists as he waits for her to choose the colour she wants.

 

She picks a taupe and he paints her fingers quickly but efficiently, bringing her fingers to his mouth to blow cool air over them to dry them. The same tingle races up her arm at the act and goosebumps make an appearance on her arms.

 

There’s a faint smile tugging at the corner of the wolf’s lips as he continues to blow air over her fingers, and she cannot help the full body shiver that comes over her.

 

Her fingers are so close to his mouth, and if there wasn’t trying nail polish on them she’d trace his lips with her fingers and inch them into his mouth. His mouth has always fascinated her, with it’s quick barbs and mouthfuls of sass. The smirks and snarls that leave her equal parts excited and nervous.

 

She feels lost in the sensation of his warm hands and cool breath, and startles when Peter places her hands gently onto the table top.

 

“Are you ready for that coffee now?” He asks her and Stiles feels momentarily off balance.

 

She sees it for the offering it is and seizes it with a grateful smile to Peter. She’s not quite ready for everything he’s offering her yet.

 

“Dude, I’m always ready for coffee.” She sticks her tongue out at him, the spell breaking, before racing upstairs to grab a sweater.

  
When they step outside and head for Peter’s car, Stiles takes a deep breath. Being around Peter is a heady thing and she needs to be careful lest she over-imbibe.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.
> 
> ~ M


End file.
